20g slug load data

[daengmei]

I have load data from Ballistics Products. All data is for 7/8oz slugs. I have a Lee mold that makes a slug just over 1 oz. How do I adjust the charge to be safe for initial firing?

[longbow]

I'm afraid I am confused! I had to read your post several times to sort out what it is you want to know.

You say you want load data for 20 ga. but have a Lee mould for 1 oz. slugs. Lee does not make moulds for 20 ga. The Lee Drive Key slugs are for 12 ga. and used in wads.

If I have misread or you have misposted then what you need is load data for a 20 ga. 1 0z. slug. You cannot simply adjust the charge from 7/8 oz. to 1 oz. It doesn't work that way.

So, let's sort out just what it is you have.

Longbow

[megasupermagnum]

I'm going to assume you actually have a 12 gauge, and wrote 20 by mistake. Lee has data for the 1 ounce slug for higher velocity loads.

[daengmei]

You cannot simply adjust
Thank you

Sorry to confuse anyone. Using Lee 575-472 mold. It fits the wad perfectly. It is a 20g shell. Is this usable for the 20g? I can't find load data for 1 oz and thought to ask.

[megasupermagnum]

In that case, I've shot that slug myself. I tried both a Federal 20S1 and a Trap Commander from BPI. Neither worked good. The 20S1's had way too much variation in the petal thickness. The TC did not fit the slug well. It seemed to fit great in the hand, but when shooting, it was clear the slug could not set back properly in that wad. Fill the slugs hollow base with hot glue, and use 28 gauge nitro cards under the slug to adjust the height.

For data, use 1 1/8 oz lead shot data. I used Bluedot powder. I was probably also using 3" hulls.

[daengmei]

Thanks.

[longbow]

Aaaahhh! That makes sense now!

I'd refer you to Ajay's old posts on 20 ga. but unfortunately they are all dead now. Too bad, he had lots of good 12 and 20 ga. info. I copied much of the 12 ga. info but not 20 ga.

Now that the what you have is sorted out I'm sure msm and others with 20 ga.'s will provide a variety of load recipes with different hulls, powders and primers.

But to reinforce my comment, reloading for shotshells is very dependent on all components so you should be using known to be safe load data and preferably pressure tested load data.

Seemingly small changes can have large effects on pressure in shotshell reloading.

Play but play safe!

Longbow

[daengmei]

I have some of that info, both 12 and 20, all from pics. But since someone alluded to bad data in those posts I thought to ask.
I appreciate all comments.

I also have one of the svarog slugs, so I'm hoping to find something that I can use with Longshot. I've found 20g and 20.5g for 1 1/8oz shot data.

There is plenty of data for 7/8oz loads in the Ballistics Products data.

[longbow]

Slug reloading info tends to be scarce compared to shot load info so finding and saving"good" data is a good plan. I have several reloading manuals, info from articles, info from powder mfg.'s, BPI manuals and brochures and info from posts here by people like boodtrail who pressure test and post results.

You can use birdshot load data by substituting equal weight slug for the shot. Generally these will not be high performance/high velocity slug loads but they will be safe and effective.

Sorry, I don't load for 20 ga. so no load data available except what I have in manuals. I'll take a look for 1 oz. but if memory serves typical 20 ga. slugs are 7/8 oz.

Longbow

[farmbif]

sometimes I wish maybe the guys from winchester that worked out the loads for stuff like the pdx1 defender shells were on this site to chime in on just how you go about working up new unique loads

[longbow]

They use pressure testing equipment like others. Shotshell reloading is not as straight forward as metallic cartridge reloading because there are many more variables. Hull brands and styles are different, 209 primers by brand are significantly different, wads are different and crimps are different. Then there is the variety of payloads and powders.

Just why shotshell components developed the way they did is a bit of a mystery to me but I have to guess that many more people buy factory rounds for casual shooting and competition than with rifle or handgun rounds. The mfg.'s likely developed their recipes to be more efficient/better patterning in any way they felt like. That would account for hull and wad differences but why primers vary so much is a bit of a mystery to me too. I'd have thought a "standard" and magnum primer would do it but not so it seems. I suppose in the quest for maintaining target velocity and tight patterns anything goes.

The components all "work" together in any given recipe. Even minor changes can affect pattern, velocity and pressure.

The net result is that we have a huge variety of components that can be assembled with any given payload and powder.

In case you are not aware there is enough difference in 209 primers to affect pressure by about 3000 PSI with just a simple primer change. That's a lot if you are running max. pressure and it goes up by 3000 PSI! A crimp change from fold to roll crimp and even crimp depth can also have a pretty significant effect on pressure.

My take anyway.

Longbow